Holly Maughan (EG 2004-2012)
Holly left Edge Grove in Year 6 to move onto St Albans High School for girls. She is now in her third year studying Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds. Holly writes…. Civil engineering involves the design, construction and maintenance of the built environment. It includes buildings, bridges, sewers, railways, water supply and much more. I decided to do this course because I was good at maths and science and wanted to make a big difference in the world. I love my course because it is practical, and I can see how what I am learning relates to what I will be doing in the future. Although challenging, with a heavy workload, the friends I have made on my course make it all manageable. The civil engineering course at Leeds is practical and coursework heavy which suits my work style because it means I apply what I am being taught instead of it going in one ear and out the other! My plan is to be managing large construction sites in London once I have gained experience doing site engineering. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Leeds because it seems everything I could possibly need is in walking distance but a short drive away are the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales for some real fresh air. The university is constantly improving its infrastructure and asking students how they can improve to make their university experience even better. The train link between Leeds and London is great which makes going home very easy.
Melanie Metcalf (EG 2003-2012)
Hi! I’m Mel. I study Fashion Marketing at the University of Leeds. While I enjoyed and miss my time at Edge Grove from 2003 to 2012, I always found myself struggling with academic subjects due to my dyslexia. Art lessons at Edge Grove encouraged me to feel comfortable with enjoying creatives and has been a backbone to all that I have achieved so far.
I found fashion marketing as a university course through searching through university degree pages to find what best suited me. The transition from secondary school to university was exciting as I was proud to finally study fashion as a focal subject. Fashion has not always been a widely accepted degree and I’m fortunate enough to be able to start a career through it nowadays. While working towards my undergraduate degree I have partaken in a variety of modules including trend-forecasting, visual communications and strategic fashion marketing. Leeds has both been an inviting and unforgettable university experience. Currently I am working towards a graduate job in either fashion marketing or styling and am hopeful for any experience I can gain in the future.
Alice Haldane (EG 2006-2012)
Alice left Edge Grove to go initially to Berkhamsted and then Tring Park for A Levels. She is now at Sheffield university in her first year of a Journalism Studies degree.
My first impression of university life….
When my parents and I had finally jam packed the car full with my uni essentials and countless bits and bobs, I began to feel excited. That was the first moment it really hit me that I was heading off to University, and I felt all those usual feelings people say they get when they go off to a new place. The excitement and buzz of a new beginning, mixed with some nerves as you don’t know what to expect. Even though I was leaving my safe haven, my home, I found comfort in the fact that everyone was in the same boat and soon we would all create a new home together. Initially, going off to uni most definitely gave me butterflies, but before I knew it, a couple hours into moving in day, I forgot why I was so nervous about it in the first place. Everything moved so quickly, dumping all my stuff into my new room, having different conversations with new people I just met, it was absolutely chaotic. I clearly had no time to fit in worrying. I was one of the last to move into our halls, so everyone had already settled in and had familiarised themselves with one another. I remember walking into the kitchen area and meeting all my new flat mates at once, asking their names and what course they were doing. It seems so funny to look back on my first encounters with them all as now some of them are my great friends, some who I will be living with next year. It is so strange to think of how alien my student village was to me when I was first starting off, compared to how I see it now, my second home.
Everyone hears different things about freshers week before they go off to uni. I was told numerous times how it is the best week of your life, the most wild experience. However, my freshers week experience was very mixed. I met so many amazing people as everyone had the same mindset to make friends as quickly as possible. The amazing nightlife meant I had some great nights out, it was so much fun, but overall, it destroyed me. When you are actually living in freshers week, it makes you question how on earth are people partying every single night. That first week was hectic, but I powered through it like a champ. I remember laughing to myself, as once it got to the second week, the partying almost just carried on into that week, it was nonstop. University is like one big party, it still is, but I learned to balance my work with my social life overtime.
Will Stevens (EG 2004-2014)
Since leaving Edge Grove in 2014, I attended Berkhamsted School, followed by a year at Mander Portman Woodward (MPW) in South Kensington, London. I am currently an undergraduate in my second year studying Economics and Finance at the University of Exeter. Unfortunately, my University experience has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as we are only now returning to in-person lectures and exams. Exeter is a wonderful city, with many social amenities. The University itself has an exceptional Business School and generally, even despite COVID-19, there is a vibrant atmosphere around the University campus, especially with the reconvening of societies, and I myself am a member of the Exeter University Men’s Cricket Club (EUMCC). Economics and Finance is providing me with an invaluable insight into the importance of Economics ranging from everyday situations to the global financial system. The skillset which I am developing is aimed at enabling me to access a broad spectrum of career opportunities. Whilst due to graduate in 2023, I am contemplating undertaking a Master’s degree thereafter.
Ben Haldane (EG 2005-2013)
Experience In the Music Industry - My experience in music production and the music industry itself (so far) has been great and something to remember. For the last two years, as well as producing music, I’ve been studying International Business at Loughborough University. However, this year I’ve decided to take a year out in order to pursue my passion for music. I’ve now been doing music production for a few years alongside my A Levels and my University Degree, so I decided that this year would be the right time to give it a proper go and put my all into it with no distraction from my studies. What I do includes working with music artists in order to provide the instrumentals for their songs. Doing this includes lots of travelling around London to work in various studio spaces with various people. I’ve also worked in Paris and hope to be flying out to work in New York and Miami soon, which I’m really excited about. One of my favourite moments so far has been being involved in a project that went No. 1 on the R&B and HipHop Official UK Charts, which has been a goal of mine for a while. Music was always a hobby for me, I just really enjoyed making it and eventually realised it could be a potential career path. So, I think it’s important to do what you love to do because you never know where it could take you. This has been my experience so far; I still have a very long way to go so I hope I will be able to provide an update in the future!
Bruno Esses (EG 2005-2014)
Hi, my name is Bruno Esses and I am currently studying Business Economics at the University of Exeter.
Business Economics involves learning about the economic decisions faced by businesses, evaluating economic policies implemented by the government as well as understanding consumer behaviour through behavioural economics.
So far, I have found my course interesting, exciting, yet also challenging. Economics issues influence our daily lives, i.e., through tax and inflation, so learning about these key concepts has prepared me sufficiently to be financially independent. This course has also developed a range of transferable skills such as my numeracy and problem solving, where working with numbers is essential within Economics.
My favourite aspect about this course has been the opportunity to complete a placement year. This involves spending a year working for a company, learning about a particular sector, providing you with inspiration for your future career. I am currently on my placement year, working at Lloyds Banking Group as a Market Risk Analyst in London, gaining valuable experience within the banking sector.
My experience at the University of Exeter has been incredibly enjoyable and invaluable. The small compact city providing a nice community sprit has been perfect to meet people and develop great friendships. With Exeter only a 30-minute train journey away from the beach, the summer months are always the best, offering great beach days with friends.
Eashani Panchal (EG 2005-2010)
I am currently studying for my undergraduate degree in Fashion Marketing with Management at the University of Southampton. I chose this degree because it provided a balance of creative and academic studies. The impact of modern society on the fashion industry has fascinated me, from sustainability to cultural appropriation and the pandemic. I love my opportunity to be collaborative and artistic through producing creative outcomes as well as essays.
I chose to do a Year in Employment before my graduate year to gain some industry experience. After a competitive and fierce process, I secured an Editorial Internship at MatchesFashion, a global e-commerce platform for luxury fashion retail. At their Head Office in the Shard, I assist our editors with managing fashion for photoshoots and work with professional industry creatives and talent. Our team produces the curated imagery found across our digital and physical platforms. I’m constantly thrilled by the stunning fashion and my role, working closely with the super-brands such as Gucci and Valentino, but also smaller, upcoming and innovative designers.
Rahil Thapar (EG 2004-2014)
Hey, I am Rahil; l left Edge Grove in 2014 and have been in Hong Kong since September 2021. I am taking part in a year’s exchange programme at the City University of Hong Kong as part of my 4-year degree at the University of Leeds. On the course itself, I am studying History and Politics. I am lucky that in Hong Kong I am able to study a variety of different modules that I would not have the opportunity to do so at Leeds. This ranges from China’s role in world affairs, the Hong Kong political system, political movements across the world to public affairs in Hong Kong and the future of the region. The style of teaching is different with longer classes and more coursework, and it is graded in a completely different way. It is extremely interesting to be taught in a whole new country and to learn about affairs thousands of miles away from home. It really broadens one’s horizons to be able to study in such a diverse political landscape to that of the UK. About Hong Kong itself, they call her the city of contrast. This is because amidst the fast-moving lifestyle, tall buildings, amazing shops, and markets, Hong Kong is lucky to have a beautiful great outdoors. From scenic beaches to breath-taking hikes, rural islands, diverse wildlife, and country parks, you can see parts of the city you never imagined. As well as this, the weather is mostly hot all year round, which means you can be on the beach sunbathing even in December! If you want to hear more about Hong Kong, feel free to reach out to me at rahil.thapar@icloud.com Here are some pictures of the diversity of Hong Kong:
Elizabeth Ovia (EG 2004-2014)
Hi everyone, I’m Lizzie and I attended Edge Grove from Reception to Year 8, leaving in 2014. Since then, I’ve been a bit busy! I’m now completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Liverpool. I’m studying BA Marketing with a Year in Industry, (which I am currently on). Having studied in Liverpool for only part of my first year then remotely (because university closed due to the pandemic), I’ve had quite an unusual experience. Nonetheless, overall it hasn’t been too bad. Marketing is an interesting subject as it allows room for creativity and innovation, which are two characteristics that I feel really resonate with me. I’ve had the opportunity to look at different types of Marketing, which has given great insight into the subject as a whole.
I have been working as a Brand Marketing Intern for BSH Home Appliances since September 2021, where I am responsible for looking after Siemens, the ‘S’ in BSH. The opportunity to take this internship has made me extremely grateful as it has given me a taste of what the world of work is like, and the truth is - it’s not easy! My main role is essentially making sure the brand looks good - I’ve worked on campaigns, newsletters, brochures and many other tasks, ensuring that the content, imaging and message represents the look and feel of the brand. A really exciting aspect of my role is working with social media. I had the chance to work on the first ever Bosch (the ‘B’ in BSH) Christmas Campaign, where we trialled TikTok for the first time. It was such a fun experience and I felt really proud to be part of the project. My university journey has been a rollercoaster so far but I am truly enjoying all the experience I’m getting and can’t wait to get to the finish line.
Louis Howard (EG 2004-2014)
I am proud to be an Edge Grove alumnus, and I currently studying International Business Economics at the University of Manchester after gaining A* A B at a levels.
I find my course particularly enjoyable given the range of content, which suited me given my uncertainty of the career I wished to follow during my first year. I have found finance, law and economics very beneficial in enabling me to attain a wide base of applied knowledge to a number of industries. Despite obvious challenges surrounding covid, I have achieved a 1st class grade in my second year, and in my year 3 semester 1 exams, and aim to finish with a 1st at the end of this year. Mid June I was fortune enough to be offered a 3 month graduate probationary role at a London Investment Bank, hopefully as a probationary prelude to a full time role.
Christian Stevens (EG 2004-2014)
Since leaving Edge Grove, I attended Berkhamsted from 2014-2019, where I was offered a place at Oxford Brookes University, to study Real Estate Management. Oxford is a lovely city and I love visiting the independent coffee shops to do my work. I am currently in my final year and will be graduating in September.
